The Yellow Torch of High Altitude

Habit: Small perennial plant, usually 10–15 cm tall. Leaves: All basal, gathered in rosettes. They have a pinnate outline with lanceolate segments; the terminal segment is generally broader than the lateral ones. The blade is more or less acute and bears 1 or 2 teeth per side, with a surface that may appear glaucous (bluish-green). Flowers: Solitary and very conspicuous in relation to the size of the plant, with a corolla 4–6 cm wide. It consists of 4 obovate-rounded petals of delicate texture. The prevailing colour is white or yellow, but in some isolated populations stable colour variants tending toward reddish-orange may occur. Fruits: A pluricarpellate ovoid capsule covered with bristles, opening at maturity by small pores situated beneath the stigmatic disc to release the seeds. Flowering: July–August.

Chorological type: Southwestern European orophyte. Distribution in Italy: The species is present in the main massifs of the Alpine arc. Along the Central Apennines, it occurs in relict high-altitude stations on Gran Sasso, Majella, Velino-Sirente, and the Marsicani Mountains. Habitat: It is an extreme pioneer species, adapted to living in screes and deposits of shifting rocky debris (calcareous talus), between 2000 and 2800 m a.s.l.

Generic name (Oreomecon): From the Greek terms óros (mountain) and mécon (poppy), explicitly indicating the montane nature of this genus, recently distinguished from the genus Papaver. Specific name (alpina): Referring to the Alps, a term used in botany to identify taxa whose preferred habitat is in high-mountain environments.